With an agricultural history rooted in corn farming, South Dakota celebrates each crop-growing season during the annual Corn Palace Festival held in late August at their famed Corn Palace. The World’s Only Corn Palace, Mitchell, S.D.’s premier tourist attraction, was originally constructed in 1892 and was later rebuilt in 1905. The third, and present building, completed in 1921, will once again be seen in a whole new light. Attracting more than a half million visitors annually, the grand architectural gestures with curves and shaped columns reminiscent of corn cobs will set the stage at the newly renovated Corn Palace, sure to be the crowning jewel of this year’s event.
MSR Architects of Minneapolis began working on the current renovation project as far back as 2011 when they were commissioned to complete a study to develop a 20-year, long-term vision to improve the visitor experience and increase the number of visitors at this historic site. Fast forward to early 2014, MSR had assembled an expert team, with the technology and experience to transform their design intent into built form within a set budget. MSR’s decisions made early on shaped the successful outcome of this renovation project.